West Orange math and computer science teacher Frank Iannucci received the $25,000 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award in a surprise ceremony at West Orange High School on Friday morning. Milken Foundation co-founder Michael Milken presented the award to Iannucci in front of a room full of students, teachers and officials who gathered for celebration.
The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards provide public recognition and financial rewards to outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and other education professionals. Since the award was established in 1985, the program has recognized more than 2,500 distinguished educators with individual unrestricted awards of $25,000 per educator. A total of $137 million has been devoted to the overall program, which includes powerful professional development opportunities throughout the recipients’ careers in education.
“For a quarter-century, the Milken Family Foundation has highlighted the fact that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the most important in-school factor in determining student achievement,” said Deputy Commissioner Andy Smarick, who presented at the ceremony. “I congratulate Mr. Iannucci for his dedication to student learning and student success, as evidenced by the fact that 99 percent of his students taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and computer science demonstrate proficiency and receive numerous honors.”
Iannucci was responsible for forming a chapter of the National Mathematics Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta at West Orange High School. The 96 student members serve as tutors for students struggling with math. In addition to being a strong advocate for students, Iannucci also serves as a mentor for novice teachers and is working with his district to build an on-line learning management system to promote on-line home instruction for students and professional development for staff.
Iannucci has nine years experience in education. He has taught in the West Orange School District for five years, and previously taught in Bloomfield and Ridgefield Park. He holds a BS and MA from Montclair State University.
Dubbed the ‘Oscars of teaching’ by Teacher Magazine, the Milken Educator Awards program recognizes the importance of outstanding educators and encourages talented people to enter the teaching profession. Unlike most teaching awards, the Milken Educator Awards have no formal nomination or application process. Each year, exceptional teachers, principals, and specialists – recommended without their knowledge by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by each state’s department of education – are surprised with the news of their awards.
New Jersey joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 2002 and there have been 20 NJ recipients since program began in New Jersey. So far, $500,000 has been awarded in New Jersey.
West Orange High School should be very proud. Its teachers have been recipients of many awards recently: Erica DePalo and Tynia Thomassie were both awarded NJ County Teacher of The Year.
